Client: “Welllll…..I just don’t know if we’ve got room in our budget for this next year.”
Snarky: “Sure, I understand. Times are tight, cutbacks are happening. *silently* …I mean maybe cut down on the 47 legal pads you blow through in a month and try writing on both sides of the page for once Jimmy…*aloud* so how do you plan on moving forward to solve problem x?”
Client: “We aren’t really sure yet. We are considering various options.”
Snarky: “Well, why don’t you just let us handle everything. Soup to nuts. We’ve got this great product you might be interested in that builds on what you currently have. Cost is 3x what you’re paying now. But…are you ready for this magic? If you buy 3x we will give you your original product for free!”
Client: “Hmmm…that is interesting…send over a proposal and I’ll get back to you.”
**1 Week Later***
Client: “Snarky! Sign me up for 3x! We love it! But the original product is still free right?”
Snarky: “Well…if that’s what it’s going to take…you got it Jimmy.”
People just want free stuff. It is truly incredible to me the lengths that some people will go to feel like they’ve gotten something for nothing. I want to know where all that extra cash miraculously came from! Are the growing it in the backyard? Now…it is obviously important to make sure that the product delivers on that value, but I promise you that budget issues are very rarely budget issues. You’ve just got to be creative.